Campaign
((no longer pfp))
Irine, Campaign
<ohoh? okaaaaaayyyyyyy.>
CHASE HIM! If I catch up to him, mouth his leg or side or whatever without biting down, then hop away from him and start running in the general direction of the volcano. When he gets close to me in pursuit, I start dashing sideways and changing direction a lot, making myself a tough target. If I get a really large lead, then spin around to face River and lean forward, my forepaws spread wide while I pant and catch my breath. If he catches me, then it's back to me chasing him again.
each time that I catch him: <TAG!>
If I get tired or am having too much trouble catching him: I ask River what element someone is, starting with the people that our dead players are asking about in OOC chat. then use the time while he's distracted to rest / catch up. but I do not actually tag him while he's talking, waiting until he's done before resuming the game. the last person I'll ask about is myself: <annnnnnd what about me? I'm fire, right?>
when I get completely tired out, and really really need to rest, then I flop down and roll over on to my back. <I give up! you win!>
later, after the game is over, I'lll mention:
<I really like it here too, you know? lots of variety. It kinda reminds me of home. It's one of those places that could be desolate, but really isn't. I mean, the little floaty glowballs, the scorched buildings, the holes and the lava and lil moles and all kinds of neat things are out here. I like it.>
Also, when we get near some glowballs, I'll try to see if they're firey enough for me to tug on them, and to see what they do when I mess with them a lil bit. No real harm intended towards them, mostly curiosity. I wana poke it. not touching them physically though.
You run at full speed after River, trying to catch up to him. He stops to smell something in his way, giving you time to catch up. He hears you coming a few moments before you reach him, but he is not quick enough to do anything more than look at you in surprise as you mouth his hind leg jump, exclaim
<TAG!> and run away.
<Tag?>He watches you run away, turn around and look at him expectantly, leaning forward. His ears perk up and he starts wagging his tail as he witnesses your play bow.
<Tag!> he exclaims as he runs after you, accompanying his words with an excited bark.
...
The game goes on for some time. He's a lot larger than you and from the way he half-runs half-leaps you'd guess he is also much stronger, so he can easily catch up to you. Yet he seems to be having trouble with following your changes in direction, which gives you a small advantage when you are being chased. Despite that, he is able to catch you a couple of times, giving you a playful bite before running away. On the other hand his speed means you have to struggle to catch up to him, but he seems willing to move slower or outright wait for you whenever he gets carried away and runs too quickly, so that you have a chance to catch up.
During that time spent waiting for you, he finds the opportunity to answer some of your questions.
<What element is Alan?><Oh, Alan is mostly of an element that I can see everywhere in this place. The cracks in the stone and the tumbling of rocks and the movement of the air above fire. The ground itself is full of threads of it, the stones here imbued with its tint. The portal used much of that element.>He moves his head around a bit as he says so, like he can actually see the things he is describing. Combined with the fact that he is panting and swishing his tail, it makes him look a bit funny.
<It is fitting of Alan. It feeds on change, on creation and destruction. Even the way it looks and moves, it is as if without something to help keep it the same, it sets rules only to later break them. Alan also has a very small part of an element I have not seen anywhere else. Not in a great amount. I have seen glimpses of it, most of them flowing from those mountains in the east, but not enough to know what it is. I think it helps give some structure to the energy within him.>...
<And Nikolai?><Nikolai is interesting. He is mostly of the same element as Alan, but much more... balanced. He has another element in great amount that helps with that. It is very rare though. I have not seen it anywhere else. I think I caught glimpses of it once, but no more than that.>He suddenly stops moving his tail and looks around, as if he is expecting something to appear, but nothing happens. He continues normally a second later.
<It looks... abstract. It has a general arrangement, but it also feels free to move and change, even though it does so very slowly. It changes like the branches of a tree moving under a light but constant wind. Perhaps if I see him use his abilities I will be able to understand it better.>...
<What about Zechariah?><His is a also interesting. I have seen it in some living things, few not living things, even in the volcano. But never in great amount. It seems capable of change but in a controlled, balanced manner. It takes aspects of other elements. Most of the ones I've seen take the aspect of the elements closer to it, the one it forms the most connections to. I think that is why the orbs look like they are made of fire.>...
<Annnnnnd what about me? I'm fire, right?><Yes, fire!>He starts walking towards you.
<Bright, wavy fire moving around, full of heat and light and power. Fire flows through everything here. The air, the ground, the tunnels below. It tints the stones and the wood and the people. And all the connections lead to the volcano. It is so bright and always pulsing, as if it is alive. Threads lead away from it towards everywhere, every direction of the horizon, with the biggest one following the river of lava. Now that the threads are mostly free from the Resonance, I believe...>His eyes turn black. You feel uneasy, like someone is about to poke you with a needle. There's a buzzing in your ears. You try to ignore it, to not resist. It passes a moment later as his eyes return to normal.
<Yes, I can see many threads have connected with you. They flow through you. They make you burn even brighter. It must be a good feeling.>
<I can also see another element. Much less than fire. One that is grey, full of right angles and patterns and symmetry. I can tell that it must have been here once. A very powerful thread. But no more. Old things are tinted by it, the ground is tinted by it, but new things are not. The tint has started to fade, being replaced. The flow must have stopped a long time ago.>He stops walking once you're close to each other and lowers his head and ears a bit, although he is still wagging his tail a bit.
<I also saw something... unexpected in you. The first time I looked at you, in the Relay World. I thought she would have healed that by now. Replaced it. You have a piece of darkness in you. A piece of me.>He keeps hhis head low but he raises his eyes to look into yours. Then he jumps.
<Which makes me wonder how you can be so slow!> he says playfully as he quickly pushes you with his front legs, turns around and starts running in the opposite direction.
...
Eventually you start getting really tired. You lie down on your back and declare
<I give up! You win!>River shows no signs of slowing down. He too has started to look a bit more tired, although his enthusiasm doesn't diminish one bit. He quickly walks towards you. He stands over you and mouths you on the neck and snout.
<Of course I win!> he exclaims playfully as he does so.
<I am best hunter!> he adds with something between a bark and a howl.
He continues standing over you, looking you in the eyes. He looks a bit calmer now. His tail is moving less quickly and his ears aren't completely perked up, although he is still panting.
<We had fun. We both win.> he says with a little less excitement. He gives your snout a couple of licks and then starts briskly walking away.
...
River spends some time to quickly walk in a wide circle around your home, looking around and occasionally sniffing the ground. From what you can smell there's nothing interesting around, just an unfamiliar human scent that smells a couple of days old. He seems to concur, for after the circle is complete he takes off again, walking in the direction of the volcano. He moves quickly, but he makes sure to stays close. He looks back from time to time, slowing down or waiting for you to catch up when necessary.
<I really like it here too, you know? lots of variety. It kinda reminds me of home. It's one of those places that could be desolate, but really isn't. I mean, the little floaty glowballs, the scorched buildings, the holes and the lava and lil moles and all kinds of neat things are out here. I like it.><I- I am happy you do. It is these places I like to go. I can not wait to wake the others to show them! And there is so much more to explore. Maybe we can stay some time after we finish, like I wanted!>
<I hope they like it too. Zechariah is so easily upset. I think it is because he is missing his bond-mate. I would understand that. I should have someone good with talking like Ike talk to him first.>
<And Theri...>He looks down and starts walking forward more quickly.
...
After some walking, you come across one of those small glowballs. River stops and watches it.
You attempt to tug on it. For a moment it seems to work. It starts emitting a sound similar to high pitched notes coming out of a church organ. Even though it resists your efforts, it starts moving in your direction, not strong enough to escape. But then its glow changes. It becomes cyan for a second before it goes silent, becoming brown and dropping to the ground, bouncing like a rock, now glowing significantly less, so much so that you could confuse it for a rock.
River approaches it cautiously, sniffs it and then raises his paw to try and touch it. The moment he touches it the rock distorts and the sound returns. River quickly pulls his paw back, as if burnt. The ball turns cyan for a moment and then back to red, quickly floating away, as if it is being carried away by a strong wind.
He barks excitedly and starts running after it.
<Catch it! Try that again Irine! I think I know what to do!>Campaign, Ike!
"Thunder! And mushrooms! Yeah! That arbitrarily makes me feel good!"
"Side note - will need a debriefing on all this shit when I get back to Staging Area," Ike adds as an aside.
Follow River and mentally sing a hunting song of some sort to him. If I can't think of any hunting songs, amuse him with dirty limericks.
You follow the two around, trying your best to
be entertaining while ignoring the constant clicking of claws against stone. You don't think they appreciate your artistic assistance very much. Philistines.
You notice there has been some movement in the refugee camp furthest away from the city, it looks slightly different. You think you saw something moving there but it might have been the wind.
You also think you see a small group of people very far away, in the road leading towards the east, but you aren't sure.
You get the feeling that you're forgetting something.
OOCHave I ever told you that you are great? Well, you are. Everyone in the forums, but the people here especially.
Too tired to write now. I will continue with Survival tomorrow. Just wanted to mention that I decided I'll pay the standard reward to people in Survival no matter what happens because of how it turned out (originally it was meant to have a very low base pay with potential for very high payout based on bonus objectives completed) and I'll just give whoever wins a small extra reward. So just enjoy that final fight.
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Topic: Special People: Mechanical Syndrome (Read 1145928 times)